Civilians who throng encounter sites are responsible for their own death: J&K police chief

Jammu: Civilians thronging encounter sites are responsible for their own deaths as bullets don't distinguish between a stone pelter and a militant, Jammu and Kashmir police chief SP Vaid said on Thursday as he again urged the youth to stay away from such places as they were not marriage venues. 

Nobody wants civilian deaths and the police and security forces are pained at such incidents, he emphasised. "We have been appealing to young boys to stay away from encounter sites. A bullet does not distinguish between a stone pelter and a militant. It has a trajectory to hit. They are responsible for their own deaths. They should not come to encounter sites", Vaid said in a live Twitter question-answer session on Thursday.  

He was replying to a question posed by one Tajamul Wani about civilian deaths in gunfights. The strong words from the senior officer came a day after four civilians were killed in the crossfire in an encounter in Kulgam district. 

An Army-man also lost his life in the line of duty while the three militants managed to flee after civilian casualties increased. 

“No citizen of India would like any civilian killing. We have been repeatedly requesting people not to come near the encounter sites when bullets fly whether from the militants or from the Army, from paramilitary force and police.  They have a trajectory. They will not look for the chest of a particular person. They can hit anybody so it is advisable not to come near the encounter sites," DGP Vaid said. 

It pains me most and pains all the forces when a civilian dies, he added. "Our effort is not even a single civilian should get hurt, but they have no business to be there. Why are these boys coming near the militant encounter sites," he lamented. 

On the pendency of amnesty for stone pelters against whom FIRs were to be withdrawn, he said the police had already moved the concerned courts in such cases.  In some of the cases, parents were supposed to come and approach police stations and give an undertaking, he added. 

To answer a question about the solution of the Kashmir problem, he said violence was not the answer. "I personally feel that the gun is not the solution. Everybody concerned, including our neighbour (Pakistan), should sit together and talk and sort it out. Gun and violence is not a solution," he said. 

On suspension of the Internet, the DGP said, "My effort is to minimize disruption of the Internet. I am totally against the suspension of it. But let me tell you there is mischief and misuse of it to spread hatred and false propaganda. This is what we want to prevent."